WEDDING QUESTIONNAIRE

YAY

I'm are so excited that you have decided to have me to shoot your big day!

Below are some questions and areas for you to fill in regarding your big day, to help me get a better idea of what you want from me and can meet your expectations! I ask that you fill out this questionnaire as completely as possible, however you can leave any sections blank if they don't apply to you - or if we've already discussed them.

We may have already had a long chat about some of these, and that's okay. This is a generalised questionnaire I present my couples so that I can get a "cheat sheet" on them and their relationship! It's particularly handy if we haven't yet had the chance to meet up. Please try and give me as many details as you can as it will really help me with my job! Are you arriving to the venue via Parachute? Or on roller-skates? I want to know every detail of the day so I can be prepared for it when it happens.

Please be aware that this questionnaire may take half an hour or more to complete. I know this is an investment of time but having a complete, accurate timetable is a huge bonus for me to be able to give you the best photographs possible!

The questionnaire cannot be saved so please plan to complete this in one session or to leave your browser window open until it is completed.

Shoot me over any questions you have while filling out this questionnaire via hello@bethanmiller.co or on 07411373122.

THE BIG DAY!

Wedding Date *

Wedding Date

MM

DD

YYYY

Bride's Name *

Bride's Name

First Name

Last Name

Bride's Phone Number

Groom's Name

Groom's Name

First Name

Last Name

Groom's Phone Number

What's the best email to contact you both on? *

Bride's Parents

Groom's Parents

How did you meet?

How long have you been together?

Who proposed to whom? What happened?

What is the most anticipated moment of your wedding day? What are you most excited for? What have you planned most?

Which photos are most important to you?

Candid/natural

Family photos

Bride and groom portraits

Wedding party photos

Detail shots (bouquet, shoes, dress, rings, etc.)

Guests dancing at the reception

Other

Are there any shots that you REALLY love and want?

If you have a shot list, please write it here or shoot me an email with it on.

Will you be doing a First Look?

Yes, please!

No thanks!

Any special relationships I should be aware of on your day?

Do you have a Wedding Planner / Coordinator?

If yes, please fill in their contact information below.

Yes

No

Wedding Planner / Coordinator Name

Wedding Planner / Coordinator Name

First Name

Last Name

Wedding Planner / Coordinator Phone Number

Wedding Planner / Coordinator Email

Officiant Name

Officiant Name

First Name

Last Name

Officiant Email

How many bridesmaids are in the wedding party?

How many groomsmen are in the wedding party?

Estimated Number of Evening Guests?

Who else is in the wedding party?

Ring bearers, Flower girls, ushers etc.

BRIDAL PREPARATION

What time should the photographer arrive for the Bridal Preparations?

What time should the photographer arrive for the Bridal Preparations?

I recommend a minimum of 1.5 hours before the bride will leave for the ceremony.

Hour

Minute

Second

Name of Bride's Emergency Contact

Name of Bride's Emergency Contact

This should not be the groom and should be a person who will be present during the bridal preparations.
e.g Maid of Honour

First Name

Last Name

Emergency Contact Number

This will be my go-to lady in case of any additional directions or information we'll need! Please make sure they have their phone on and available.

Where will the Bride be getting ready?

eg- Mum's House etc.

The Address of where the Bride will be getting ready.

The Address of where the Bride will be getting ready.

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Is there parking available at the Bridal Prep Location?

What time will the Bride be leaving for the Wedding Ceremony?

What time will the Bride be leaving for the Wedding Ceremony?

Please remember that for photographs, the bride will need to be fully ready (hair, makeup, dress, etc) at least 30 minutes before this time.

Hour

Minute

Second

How will the Bride get to the ceremony?

e.g Will the bride be transported in a special car, motorbike etc.

Please let me know any other important information about the Bridal Prep and Location below.

GROOM PREPARATION

Is a photographer required for Groom Preparation?

If yes, please answer all following Groom Preparations below. If no, please continue on at the next section - 'The Wedding Timetable'

Yes

No

Name of Groom's Emergency Contact

Name of Groom's Emergency Contact

This should not be the Bride and should be a person who will be present during the Groom's preparations. e.g Best Man

First Name

Last Name

Emergency Contact Number

This will be my go-to guy in case of any additional directions or information we'll need! Please make sure they have their phone on and available.

Where will the Groom be getting ready?

The Address of where the Groom will be getting ready *

The Address of where the Groom will be getting ready

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Is there parking available at the Groom Prep Location?

What time will the Groom be leaving for the Wedding Ceremony?

What time will the Groom be leaving for the Wedding Ceremony?

Hour

Minute

Second

Please let me know any other important information about the Groom Prep and Location below.

CEREMONY

Estimated Number of Wedding Guests for the ceremony?

Is the ceremony taking place at the same location as the bride or groom preparation?

Yes, groom prep

Yes, bride prep

Yes, everthing takes place in one location all day

No, different location

How long does it take to drive between Bride Prep and the Ceremony location?

Please allow for travel conditions on the day (eg - traffic, local event, etc)

What kind of ceremony will you be having?

Catholic

Civil

Christian

Jewish

Muslim

Other

The Ceremony begins at:

The Ceremony begins at:

Hour

Minute

Second

The Ceremony ends at:

The Ceremony ends at:

Hour

Minute

Second

Has confetti been planned for after the ceremony?

Yes

No - the venue doesn't allow it

No - nothing formal has been planned

During the Ceremony, will there be any special traditions?

Some examples of this would be a tea ceremony or a reading. And be sure to include who will be performing/helping with these traditions.

Please let me know any other important information about your wedding ceremony.

FAMILY / COUPLE PHOTOGRAPHS

Here's where you tell me all about your family and friends group portraits.
I generally recommend an absolute maximum of 10 group shots, to ensure they are fun, over quickly and don't interfere with your day.
As I cannot identify guests by name, it'd be amazing if you could provide the names and contact details of 2 people who can help us identify the people in the photos and organise them for small group photos. These 'wedding helpers' should be reliable, organised and familiar with the people you would like group photos with.

How much time have you scheduled to meet and greet your guests before the group and couple photographs begin?

This is usually around the 15 / 20 minutes mark, before the family photographs begin.

Are we going to take group portraits & couples portraits straight after the ceremony?

After a quick meet and greet of the guests, of course!

Yes!

Yes to group portraits, but couples portraits at the reception venue or another location.

No - we will instead take them when we arrive at the reception venue.

No - We do not want any group / couples shots.

How much time have you scheduled for group photographs?

It will usually take around 5 minutes per family photo.

First Wedding Helper Name

First Wedding Helper Name

This person will help collect the family and friends who will be in your group photos. It'll go by a lot faster if you select a representative who knows your family and friends well enough to gather without asking who's who.

This is an awkward question to ask - but it's even more awkward if we don't know ahead of time. Let us know of any situations we should avoid so that we can help make the big day as relaxed and drama-free as possible!

Would you like a large group photograph with all of your Wedding guests?

Yes - weather and space dependant!

No thanks!

How much time have you set aside for couples portraiture?

I recommend around 20-40 minutes.

Is there anything else you would like me to know about your couples portraits?

Please let me know of any certain poses / areas you would like them taken in.

WEDDING TIMINGS

What time will the guests enter to be seated for the wedding breakfast?

What time will the guests enter to be seated for the wedding breakfast?

Hour

Minute

Second

What time will the wedding breakfast begin?

What time will the wedding breakfast begin?

Hour

Minute

Second

What time will the wedding breakfast end?

What time will the wedding breakfast end?

Hour

Minute

Second

Will you be having speeches after or before the wedding breakfast?

After

Before

What time will the speeches begin?

What time will the speeches begin?

Hour

Minute

Second

What time will the speeches end?

What time will the speeches end?

Hour

Minute

Second

What time will the evening reception begin?

What time will the evening reception begin?

Hour

Minute

Second

What kind of entertainment will you have for the party?

DJ, band, playlist etc.

Will you be having a first dance?

Yes

No

Do you have a rough time estimate for your first dance?

Do you have a rough time estimate for your first dance?

Hour

Minute

Second

Will you be having a cake cutting?

If yes, please let us know when this will take place and a rough time estimate if possible. e.g before the speeches, after wedding breakfast, before the first dance etc.

Are you having a sparkler or themed exit?

If yes, please let us know what time this will be taking place.

Do you have any other details you need me to know about your wedding timetable?

VENDOR INFORMATION

As a courtesy, I sometimes provide a small number of photographs to the vendors that have worked on your wedding (eg - photos of the bouquet to your florist). Please note that all requests for vendor images must go directly through the photographer as your license does not allow you to distribute the images for commerical purposes.

Are you happy for me to distribute these photos to vendors who worked on your wedding?

Yes

No

Yes - but at a later date

POST WEDDING INFORMATION

You can expect your wedding photos back within about 6 weeks. This may vary depending on work load - sometimes it could be as little as 2 weeks and sometimes it could be the full 6 weeks, but your wedding is always a priority to me.
I hold my job in the upmost importance and my client's happiness is important to me.

Will the bride or groom be changing their surname after the wedding?

If yes, please state whether it is the Bride or Groom changing their name.

Included in your package is a Password-protected Online Gallery. Please choose what you would like the password to be.

I will share a little sneak peak on my website / Facebook shortly after your wedding. Is this something you would like?

These can also be emailed to you!

Yes! I would love to see some photos early!

No, I want to wait and see them all at once.

Thank you!

WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE

In addition to this questionnaire, we will need a detailed timeline no later than 2 weeks prior to your wedding day. The earlier you can get us the timeline, the better. This will allow us to review the timeline and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that we have sufficient time for the different photos of the day.

SHOT LIST

Ring Shots: If you would like ring shots, please make sure to let me know so that you can lend me your rings for five minutes, once you are married. (Usually during the reception sometime).

Dress Shots: If you would like dress shots by a window, please make sure there is a good window or door in your venue to use. If there is not one available I will make the best of the situation with what is possible, but be aware that I cannot force a window shot if there are no large windows or areas!

Detail Shots: If possible, keep your detail items (flowers, shoes, jewellery etc.) out in one area so I can work through capturing them quickly and there is no hassle trying to find them! (I usually shoot these during bridal prep.)

The Mood Board: A Shot List Alternative

Would you like to set up a Pinterest mood board, which you can add ideas to - to create an "idea board" featuring your thoughts and interests? This is less of a fixed "shot list" and more of a relaxed gallery featuring the tone of what you would like from me.

You can use this to "pin" images from other websites or my portfolio gallery that you LOVE or like for inspiration and would enjoy incorporated in your wedding in your own way. I cannot guarantee to match every image you pin because every wedding is different and the factors that contributed to that image will not necessarily be there on your wedding day, this board is not supposed to be a shot list but instead a board of things you like. I will do my best to work with this in mind.

Descriptive Captions: When you "pin" something, please write a short, quick description about what is it you like about this particular photo - whether it's the lighting, the location, the emotions, the posing, the composition or something else. If necessary, you can even add images that you really DON'T like - providing you state in their description what it is you dislike about the photo, so I can bear this in mind.

Please email me on - hello@bethanmiller.co if you're interested in setting one of these mood boards up.

A FEW POINTERS

I want your wedding photos to be flawless. I will be unobtrusive and ready to capture your special moments. Here are some suggestions for you:

Also, If anything changes, please don't panic - just feel free to send me a quick email telling me about it if you have the time! You can alternately submit another revised questionnaire! The most important thing is that you let me know if your address, email address or phone number changes between now and your wedding!

By submitting this form you are stating that you have provided me with complete, accurate details about your wedding day. Please ensure that all information is correct.

Don't rush your first kiss! You don't need to full-on snog for ten minutes either, but at least 5 seconds of kissing should be enough to make sure that myself and any videographers who you hire have a chance to capture the moment properly!

It's another rushing one... but try not to rush your first dance if possible either. If you're a little awkward, you don't have to dance alone forever, just minimum one minute is fine.

Be sure you have your hair and make-up trial at least a month before your wedding for peace of mind. Make sure to snap a few images after your session to make sure to make sure that all elements from hair, to dress, to jewellery, are a perfect match – and fabulously photogenic!

Allow 50% more time for your hair and makeup than you originally anticipated on the big day. This will ensure you have plenty of time for everything else and that if you over run – you’re not late!

To shoot a private “bride and groom” portrait session, I will need at least 20-40 minutes of your time alone to take a walk. This allows you to take a little time to yourselves after getting married and can be taken at any point during the day.

Please, make sure the cutting of the cake and/or any other parts of the evening to be captured occur within the booked time.

Have a think about the lighting for your first dance when talking with your DJ. It's entirely your choice as to how you arrange it, but in my experience, if the DJ puts coloured / flashing disco lights on during the first dance, this can often lower the aesthetic quality of a photograph - because your faces and bodies will be flecked with random colours. I suggest to many couples that they ask the DJ to turn off all coloured/patterned lights until after the first dance is over, however, I bring my own lighting equipment with me to every wedding and am fully able to combat this by myself to provide the best quality look and feel - should you not wish to request this of your DJ.

Don't be afraid to smile and talk to each other when you are being photographed. Don't feel that you constantly have to stare at the camera, I want you to create memories - not awkward photos!

If you would like photographs of your wedding invitations, please remember to bring them to your bridal prep - or along on the day.

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this questionnaire! I know it asks for you to collate a lot of information all in one place and that is a lot of hard work. Getting detailed and accurate information about your day enables me to achieve the best results possible.